SEAFORD, DE - Friday night pizza at Slingers in Sussex County is one of Helen Cook's favorite family traditions.
That tradition has been on pause for nearly 10 months after a car crash devastated the locally-owned favorite.
As WBOC previously reported, a 33-year-old man under the influence drove his vehicle into the business before noon on March 18. No one was injured, but the restaurant was forced to close.
Sisters Shelly McCarron and Sheena Andrew are the owners of Slingers. Andrew said the first few months of navigating insurance were challenging, but things went smoothly once the redesign was underway.
"We weren't expecting it to happen like this," Andrew said. "But we took advantage of it and just kind of put our own brand on it and spin on it."
The new look includes a dirt track racing motif, a homage to the owners' family hobby. McCarron's daughter, Ava, has worked at the restaurant for two years and is excited for the new era of Slingers.
"Sussex County is kind of in the building right now," Ava McCarron said. "It's really cool to see our kind of personality go into the building process."
Also new are the poles lining the curb of the storefront. These are a safety precaution, according to Andrew.
"We put 15 of them out there," Andrew said. "Had that been there before, that car never would have entered our building."
Not everything has changed. The menu is largely unchanged, besides a few new seafood appetizers.
Helen Cook and her family were happy to see that the same man who has been slinging the dough for more than 30 years had prepared their lunch at the grand opening.
"We love Alfredo, the pizza maker," Cook said.
Andrew said she, McCarron and the entire Slingers staff are grateful for the community's support following the accident and look forward to serving them once again.
